The ability to understand and use language in a variety of social situations is called pragmatic language. This skill can be learned and mastered, and is an important component of communication and interaction skills for children with autism spectrum disorder. It is the ability to take turns, follow rules, adapt speech and non-verbal behaviours to different situations and people, communicate needs, and use language for a variety of purposes.
Pragmatics is a subfield of linguistics that studies the way context contributes to meaning in spoken and written language. It examines the social implication of words and the non-verbal behaviours that accompany them, such as body language and gestures. It also investigates the effects of a person’s background and culture on their pragmatic abilities. Linguists who specialize in pragmatics are called pragmaticians.
A key difference between semantics and pragmatics is that semantics focuses on the meaning that grammar and vocabulary impart. It does not consider the social implications of those words in their particular context. Pragmatics, on the other hand, combines social context with grammar and vocabulary to determine meaning. For example, if someone says, “Gosh, look at the time,” their literal meaning is to tell you that it is the time to check the clock. However, it can also be interpreted as them implying they want to leave or end the conversation. This is because of the pragmatic principle of positive face, which dictates that if you are not saying something directly, it should be implied with other behaviours or body language.
Other pragmatic principles include relevance and the principle of politeness. Relevance theory states that speakers are more likely to convey an intended message when their utterances are relevant to the listener’s knowledge or situation. For instance, if a child says to their mother, “I’m hungry,” it would be more acceptable for the mother to reply, “Do you have any food in the house?”
There is also a pragmatic theory known as indirect speech. Indirect speech is an utterance that is meant to be clear, but the listener may interpret it in an unclear way due to the social context. For example, if you say to your friend, “Do you like to go swimming?” your friend might imply that they want to talk about their weekend plans instead of swimming. This is because indirect speech is not as specific as direct speech.
Teaching these pragmatic language skills is an important aspect of therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders. Therapists can help teach these skills by using visual supports, providing social stories and role playing activities and teaching appropriate behaviours. Board games are another great tool for promoting pragmatic language, as they require the child to take turns and follow the rules of the game. They also need to pay attention to the other players and understand their turn-taking actions in order to interact appropriately with them. By incorporating these strategies into therapy, the child can improve their pragmatic language skills and overall communication abilities.